The parade and other festivities are part of the New York celebration of Guyana’s 52nd Anniversary of Independence from June 3-16.

The committee said that Bartica Mayor Gifford Marshall and President of the Guyana Association of Municipalities – former Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland – will be special guests.

The celebration will be held under the theme “Celebrate Guyana to the World.” The main sponsors are Caribbean Airlines and Western Union.

“Caribbean Airlines has been a trusted partner and dependable friend of the Guyanese Diaspora, hence its designation as the official airline of the celebration,” said committee chairman, Rickford Burke.

Caribbean Airlines chief executive officer, Garvin Medera, said that “Caribbean Airlines is happy to be the official airline and to share in the celebration of Guyana’s 52nd anniversary of independence both in Guyana and New York.”

Burke said a contingent of Guyana Defense Force (GDF) officers arrived in New York last Thursday to participate in the celebration.

He said the officers will perform the ceremonial honors at the commemorative events, along with Guyanese in the United States Armed Forces.

Last Friday, the team led a honor guard that included Guyanese New York Police Department (NYPD) officers and Guyana Ex-GDF Association members at a flag-raising ceremony at Brooklyn Borough Hall to commemorate Guyana’s 52nd Independence.

The ceremony preceded a reception hosted by Guyana’s Consul General to New York, Barbara Atherly and Ambassador to the United Nations, Rudolph Ten-Pow.

Burke reiterated his call on Guyanese to “be united and to confront challenges in the Diaspora as one people, with a common interest and invigorated nation pride.”

He said that “all Guyanese must become stakeholders in the nation’s journey towards cohesion and modern development.”